Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Ale - Dark Horse Brewing Company

ahking

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours rich and black and very viscous. A shade of darkness sticks to the glass as you twirl it around.

Aromas of black licorice, molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of dark chocolate.

Malty upfront, dried currants and a little dark chocolate cherry flavor with a medium amount of hops + dark roasted malts adding bitterness.

Overall, one of my favorite dark beers. Not as hoppy as a "black IPA" but this beer has been around way before that style became popular.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 02:16:30 | More by ahking

cwguy5

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- black with thin cinnamon colored head that faded to a ring; moderate spotty lacing

S- roasted malt, slight grape juice or other dark fruit, herbal honey

T- roasted malts, nuttiness, coffee bitterness, hint if dark fruit, dry bittering finish

M- velvety smooth, medium-heavy bodied; nice medium carbonation; moderate length, bitter linger

D- took me a few minutes to wrap my head around this one nut I eventually liked it very much; not super drinkable only due to body and complex flavors but enjoyable; very well rounded beer - nice color, taste and mouthfeel

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 22:13:40 | More by cwguy5

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew poured out much thicker than I expected. The head was tan and creamy looking. This beer could be a stout I think. The smell of the beer was had some big roasted aromas to it along with some earthy lager notes too. The taste of the beer was pretty good. I liked the rich roasted flavors that this had. The mouthfeel was heavy and thick. Overall this was a realli interesting brew. I would probably drink it again if I came across it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 18:31:36 | More by Knapp85

bnes09

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Ink black ale with tan head. Good retention and minimal lacing. Mostly opaque.

Nose of coffee, burnt toast and bitter hops.

Tons of roasted flavor including coffee, charcoal and burnt malt. Hop bitterness is intense and adds to the roasted bitterness. Not much sweetness to be found.

Medium bodied. Snappy carbonation compliments the bitter flavor. Ultra dry finish. Fitting and satisfying feel.

I like this. Lots of flavor and a treat for those who are not afraid of bitter beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 04:36:18 | More by bnes09

Marty30

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass at 55 degrees.

A. I was suprised at how black this was. No light shines through. Half inch tan colored head. Doesn't seem like it's heavy on the carb.

S. Smokey roasted malts,espresso,cocoa notes all hit pretty hard. Nice smelling brew.

T. Just like the smell, I get smokey roasted flavor at first then the rich chocolate and cocoa. Finishes with a bitter espresso.

M. Nice creamy medium feel,bitter finish. Leaves a roasted cocoa aftertaste.

Overall definately a quality beer,which didn't let me down and I am glad that I bought a whole case. I don't think I could polish off to many of these at a time,just a good beer to sit down and drink 2 or 3.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 01:53:28 | More by Marty30

Lauthaha

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a beer mug.

Appearance: Beer is super-dark, with a deep mahogany hue visible in bright light. Head is nice and frothy, a rich tan color, and it dimples down slowly leaving a thick lacing on the glass as it recedes.

Smell: Rich malty nose. Molasses. Pumpkin bread (or some kind of sweet loaf).

Taste/Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, it flows onto the tongue with a gentle sweetness, followed by a malty base which supports a generous helping of hops. Weird, there's almost a melon-vibe somewhere going on in there...aftertaste is super-pleasant sweet bread and molasses. Very minimal alcohol in the taste.

Overall: A beer worthy of the winter months.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 03:50:17 | More by Lauthaha

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark as night topped by an inch of pale chocolate colored head that's foamy and thick. It slowly recedes to an eighth of an inch.

S - Malty with a sharp cocoa aroma.

T - Roasted malt of chocolate and coffee with a definite hop presence. The finish is very roasty and this is a nice tasting beer.

M - Watery and smooth to start with a consistent abrasive feel from the middle through the end before allowing a nice soft finish. Very well done in my opinion.

~ This is a good beer and one I certainly recommend to others. This was a birthday gift from a good friend of mine, Spills. Thanks buddy!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 01:51:53 | More by cdkrenz

mattyb

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours very dark with a fluffy cinnamon colored head.

S - I found the nose to be very muted, very slight scent of roasted malts.

T - Luckily this tastes better than it smells. I found the taste to be very big with roasted malts, surrounded by caramel and coffee.

M - A little creamy with medium body and light carbonation.

O - Like others have said, drinks like a porter/stout. I found it to be quite tasty and for $1.50/bottle I will drink some more.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 13:52:27 | More by mattyb

paxtonthegreat

Michigan

4.85/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours super black in color with a very unique creamy head. Aromas of dark chocolate, leather, and tobacco in the nose. Flavor mostly consisting of dark chocolate, dark malt, and slight leather and roasty and smokiness. A great strong ale that I convinced my local pub to get on draft because I love it so much.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 18:45:48 | More by paxtonthegreat

SirSketch

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pitch black beer with a mocha colored, soda- pop head.

S - Creamy milk chocolate, butterscotch candy, cappuccino, and even some cherry.

T - The taste is pretty roasty, astringent and dry, with coffee and lactose notes in the background. Chocolate is more of a bitter, dark chocolate than milk chocolate.

M - Thick, sticky mouth and little carbonation. Might be a bit too full-bodied.

O - Both sweet and chocolaty, while being roasty and with coffee flavor. Porter, stout or whatever you want to call it, this beer is delicious!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 05:04:39 | More by SirSketch

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - black body, big tan head, nice stout-ish look.

S - smoked meats, tanned leather, earth and wood hints, some dark fruits.

T - Nice smoke and roast on the malt front. A really nice malt profile, to be honest. Good balance of all things dark.

M - medium body, smooth, a bit drying.

O - a real nice beer. I'd drink this regularly. Nothing wrong with it, and its pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 22:32:49 | More by ColdPoncho

Mscarpen

Tennessee

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A supermarket, jet black beer with a crazy thin head and no lacking. Smells of floral, hops, and smoke. Tastes of extreme dark hops, mild chocolate, and a pleasant bitter back end. Thick mouthfeel with a very aggressive tonge coating.

Overall, a very surpising dark beer with tos of hops. If that is your sweet spot, then this is for you!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 21:47:35 | More by Mscarpen

monitorpop

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark Horse Black Bier

A: Black oil, with a ruby brown glow in the light. slight tan head that dissipates to almost nothing.

S: Faint roasted malts and a bit of smoke.

T: Molasses, roasted malts, bitter hops.

M: Silky with a light carbonation, almost no alcohol burn.

O: This is more of a hoppy stout than a strong ale. Not too bad, but it was not really what I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 13:04:20 | More by monitorpop

hdelavega

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to BeerThursdays for this beer.
Pours a nice black with a sticky light brown head that leaves a very nice lacing down the glass.
Smell is rich with roasty malt and a little sweet fruit.
Taste is well balanced with carmely roasted malt and a nice bitter coffee like finish.
Carbonation is nice and bright, it's pretty smooth around the mouth, there is a little bit of a grainy feeling.
I hope I can try some more from this brewery. Very nice!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 03:04:26 | More by hdelavega

jbierling

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

According to Dark Horse's web site: ABV 7.5%.

The Reserve Special is the oldest of all beers in the Dark Horse family. Its thick and when poured into a glass its color is extremely dark. Best described as a strong black ale.

Appearance: Black color.

Smell: Pleasant.

Taste: Very smooth. Finished strong.

Mouthfeel: Moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Fun. Unique bottle and artwork. Loved the name. "Reserve" indicates something special and it fits the billing.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 21:35:07 | More by jbierling

ckeegan04

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pitch black with the thinnest of brown foamy head. Beer is inpenetrable even when held up to a light source. Foam quickly dissipates to the thinnest of rings and leaves spotty lacing around the glass.

S - Big aroma of roasted malt. Lots and lots of roastiness. In addition, I pick up notes of chocoalte and just a hint of dark fruits. The roasted malt really just dominates the entire thing though.

T - Roasted malt up front and lots of it. As that taste passes I get some bittersweet chocolate, a hint of vanilla and what I recognize as a touch of oak despite this not ever seeing wood as far as I know. Some dark fruits and a touch of spice sneak in on the finish.

M - Medium to full bodied and a touch sticky. Near perfect level of carbonation gives the beer just a hint of life on the tongue while still maintaining that near full bodidness.

O - An excellent beer. Not sure why it isnt just labeled a stout because that sure is what it tastes like to me. A great display of what can be done to showcase malt flavors without needing a big, hoppy slap in the face.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 20:30:35 | More by ckeegan04

Sunnanek

Sweden

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours pitch black with brown head. Slow dissipation leaves decent lacigns.

S: Roasted dark malts, a bit smoked. Some dark bitter chocolate and strong black coffee.

T: Very like the smell: heavy roast on the malts, some smoke. Lots of dark chocolate and strong black coffee. Some vanilla in the taste. Some mild piney notes.

M: Long lovely bitter aftertaste. Body is full and carboantion is mild. Oily smooth.

O: If I had to describe this beer: a mix between Schwarzbier, Smoked beer and Imperial Stout. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 18:54:39 | More by Sunnanek

kagent777

Utah

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle obtained in a trade with (I am pretty sure) zrab11. Thanks Zach! Poured into my goblet.

Appearance: This is one dark beer, with a slight tan head that settled too quickly and left a little ring around the edge. Really, I cannot see through this one and the edges have more of a brown hue than ruby.

Smell: Smells of dark flavors smoke, wood, brownies. The malts are clearly present in a nice roasty way.

Taste: The roasty malts take center stage with a little coffee and dark chocolate type flavors. There is a bit of edgy char with a little bit of bite. This beer is not completely smooth and that is OK with me. There is a small pleasant grassy citric hoppiness that lingers in the background near the finish. The finish goes on for a while.

Mouthfeel: A full bodied beer as you might expect. The carbonation is perfectly subtle.

Overall: This is a nice alternative to stouts or porters, I enjoyed it very much. I would get this one again, if given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 04:11:09 | More by kagent777

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: black as the night - is this a stout? The head is a brownish color, and it starts around 1-2 inches and dissipates to become a ring of lacing with some very fine bubbles left behind on top.

S: coffee, smoked wood, heavily roasted malts, a bit of butterscotch

T: starts with a coffee flavor, then some bitterness and sourness, then butterscotch, wood, earthy tones

M: medium bodied with quite a bit of hops to balance it, and just the right amount of carbonation to bring out the hops and coffee flavor bitterness. Nice!

O: this is a bier to savor - it's more beastly than you'd think. I paid $10 for the 6 pack, so solid deal for this quality beer. Still haven't had a bad one from Dark Horse - this one could take #2 of theirs.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 01:59:10 | More by Holland

pmarlowe

California

3.53/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Tulip glass. Thanks to scoot1969 for this one.

A: Pours a viscous black with a finger of dense, dark khaki head. Pretty good retention and nice sheets of lace.

S: Big roasted and smoke malts with secondary dark chocolate and espresso.

T: Roasted/smoked malt and espresso. Pretty dry, and not much chocolate to balance it, which makes this a little difficult to drink too much of. Tiny bit of alcohol noticeable.

M: Full bodied and mild carbonation is very good for the style.

O: I'm not sure what distinguishes this from a stout. But anyway, this is not bad for a stout-like beer, solidly on the roasty end of the spectrum (which is not really my cup of... beer).

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 05:37:03 | More by pmarlowe

brystmar

New York

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to france44.com for shipping this to me in Brooklyn!

A: Pours black as night with a finger of dark tan head; mild to moderate beads of lace adorn the glass.

S/T: Strong coffee in the nose, along with roasted malts, toffee, hints of sweetness. Taste follows suit: very strong, bitter coffee hits right up front. Sweetly roasted malts and booze are right behind. For an 8.5%, this tastes pretty darn strong. Bitterness carries on through the dry finish. You sure this isn't a stout?

M/D: Medium-bodied, feels much too thin. Feel like I've been saying this a lot lately, but this brew needs more body. Boozy taste means drinkability suffers.

A solid craft brew!

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 04:49:42 | More by brystmar

mostpoetsdo

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep, dark black. Medium tan head, half an inch thick. This thing is nearly opaque, leaves behind some good lacing. Intimidating.

S: Smells like cocoa powder and rocks. Weird combination. Coffee grounds, too.

T: Up front is a load of roasted malt, followed by thick cocoa flavors. Super roasty, touch of coffee. Has an earthy sense to it, like gravel and soil. Finishes fairly bitter, hoppy bite at the end. Not entirely stout tasting, a hoppy porter? "imperial black ipa?"

M: Awesome carbonation. Velvety smooth. Medium body, a pleasure.

O/D: Flavors are welcomed, be it a different beer. Too mineral tasting to enjoy multiple, but oddly enjoyable. Would love to age this.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 01:12:48 | More by mostpoetsdo

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From 12oz bottle to Jackie O's tulip on 7/26/11
*From notes

Another well deserved shout-out goes to siege06nd. Thanks for the hook-up, guy!

A: Pours like a stout. Robust cocoa in color with a chocolate chip cookie lookin', 1.25 finger moderate head.

S: The first thing that stands out here is the minerality. It's got an earthy-cocoa thing going on that sounds good in theory, but in reality comes off a bit manufactured and fake.

T: A touch of bitterness from the hops hits the palate first, then a solid amount of funky dark malt. It's packing a major dirt, mud and cigar tobacco flavor that overwhelms most every nuance that I assume should be present.

M: Whispy and thin. It tries hard, but it simply can't climb Mouthfeel Mountain.

O: Dark Horse's Reseve Special Black Bier Ale is a letdown. I was expecting a rich and complex black ale, and instead got a rather ho-hum and really weird little beer. Off bottle maybe? It's possible, and I'd certainly try this again to compare, though I'm not in a rush to do so.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 18:37:04 | More by Rhettroactive

russwbeck

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: The pour is very dark with a bubbly brown head. The lacing is great, retention is average. Looks a lot darker than I was expecting.

S: The smell is quite roasty. Dark coffee, roasted malts, smells like a strong porter.

T: The taste here is a lot fuller than I was expecting. Very strong roasted malts and coffee. Bolder than some stouts I've had. The flavor really coats the mouth well. Chocolate and other sweet undertones try to balance it out, but boy is this dark and dry!

MF: Surprisingly light given the big taste and dark pour. Only about medium body with a nice amount of carbonation and no alcohol noted.

O: Great beer. Really impressed here. I cannot get over how big and rich the taste is. I wish I could get this more around my parts!

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 14:25:17 | More by russwbeck

waltonc

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Doodler for giving this to me last fall. Pours black with a nice tan creamy head. Creamy cocoa and coffee on the nose. Taste is a blend of bitter chocolate, slight creaminess, almost as if there's a bit of lactose in here, and some bitter hop presence. Nice, creamy mouthfeel with medium/high carbonation. Overall, a pretty good beer. I don't care for the strong hop component of this beer, but otherwise, quite good.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 00:50:55 | More by waltonc